Dangerous Journey
by Donnerlieschen
Summary: Ayaka is poor and needs her little girl's daddy to live a better life. Unfortunately, he lives in another country, and the journey is very dangerous. In her despair she hires an intimidating, deadly man for protection: Kakuzu. As their journey progresses, she becomes more and more uncertain whether his company is a blessing or her ruin. AU.


**I should be studying for university right now, but this idea popped into my head and I couldn't let it go.**

 **This is my first fanfiction (ever!) and English is not my native tongue, so be kind. I dont mind if you point out mistakes to me (in fact, I encourage you to do so), but please be nice about it - I am sensitive ;). I have read fanfiction for years, but never published any myself, so I might have some problems with the website. Bare with me.**

 **Last but not least I probably won't update on a regular basis. Real life, writers block, and so on. I would love to get reviews which motivate me and maybe some of you have ideas for this story. Let me hear :)**

 **Oh and Naruto of course belongs to Masashi Kishimoto; I only borrowed some characters for my story.**

She shivered and looked around timidly, while she was rushing down the narrow alley. Piles of dirt and nasty smells surrounded her. Every shadow and dark corner seemed to hide an evil secret. This part of the city gave her the creeps, but it was the only thing she could afford at the moment. Her pathetic paycheck from cleaning floors in the mall at the other end of the city barely covered the rent for her shitty apartment. She had to ration her food, and new cloths were a luxury she didn't even dare to think about.

And then there was Makani. Her little girl. Barely four years old, the little angel had seen far too much for her age. She was the reason Ayaka was out at nighttime in these streets. She was going to find the girl's father. She needed his support or otherwise they would both end up rotting on the streets.

Sadly he lived across the country. It would take weeks to travel there and the journey was more than dangerous. Thugs, a lot more rotten than the ones living in this neighborhood, hid along the roads and attacked passing merchants and civilians likewise. Going on this trip without protection was a suicide mission. Especially for a young woman and a little girl. For this reason exactly she entered the shady pub.

Hidan, the creepy man living in the apartment next to her, had set her up with a "motherfucking scary heathen that would do anything for money". Truth be told she was still unsure if it was a good idea to meet somebody that associated himself with Hidan.

He was a freak. Bad mouth, sadistic streak, and violent, thought never towards her. Maybe because the first time he had seen her, she was praying with her head against the dirty wall of the hallway. He commented that even though it was to the wrong "fucking" god, he would respect a fellow believer. She had refrained from telling him that she was only praying out of despair, as her money once more wasn't enough for food for Makani and her.

However, as much as she wanted to turn around and run back to her crappy apartment, she had no choice. She needed to talk to this mysterious man. For Makani's sake and for her own. She glanced at her watch. 10:23. Seven minutes early. Seeking the protection of the shadows, she sat down at a table in a dark corner.

How would she even recognize said man? When she had asked Hidan, he had only answered that one couldn't miss the "ugly bastard" and she didn't dare to ask him to elaborate this description. Hopefully it was as easy as Hidan made it out to be.

She couldn't afford to waste her time and money here otherwise. Tonight had to be successful. The journey needed to start as soon as possible. She couldn't continue this life much longer. Makani desperately needed new cloth, social contacts, and a safe environment to grow up. If only she could offer more to her little girl. She worked hard, long hours, but without a proper academic degree she would never earn enough to support the two of them. But how was she supposed to go to university when she had to work so much and take care of Manaki. And where would she get the money to pay the fees? It was hopeless.

"Yunada?" a harsh voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Not only the tone made shriek, but also the mention of her family name. It's been a long time since somebody had called her that. When she looked up, she froze. Piercing green eyes looked down on her, taking in her form. They belonged to a beast of a man. Tall, broad shouldered, and buff. Intimidating. The fact that he wore a long, black coat and a mask, which covered his face and only left the eyes free, only added to his dangerous appearance. She felt like a mouse in front of a snake. A hungry snake. But before she could collect her courage to confirm his statement, he had already turned around and walked towards the door. What…?

"Hey!" she cried out, only to be ignored by him.

She couldn't just let him walk away. He was her only chance. Ayaka sprang to her feet and stumbled around the table.

"W-wait," no reaction at all, "Please, wait!" Nothing. He had almost reached the door and she had the feeling that once he left the tavern she would never see him again. That was not an option. "PLEASE! JUST HEAR ME OUT!" still no reaction. Her brain was desperately trying to find a something to stop him. _…that would do anything for money_. Hidan's description came to her mind. "STOP! I-I'll pay you!"

His body came to a halt. Her heart skipped a beat, when he slowly turned around.

"How much?!" it sounded more like a threat than a question.

"Enough," she whispered. Not sure what he wanted and if she really had that much. But she needed to talk to him. Convince him to help her. Once she reached her destination, she would be able to pay him as much as he wanted. Manaki's dad was rich. Filthy rich. But first she had to get there.

The huge man walked past her back to the table and sat down. "Sake!" he barked towards the barkeeper, before his eyes focused back on her.

His glance made her shiver. Perhaps it had really been a bad idea to come here tonight. Maybe she should leave. She had the feeling that this man took everything very serious and wasn't the one to help charity cases. Just when she considered storming out of the pub, his rough voice stopped her.

"Don't waste my time!"

She scrambled back to her previous seat and started rambling, "I-I need some kind of bodyguard. Hidan said y-y-you are good and I thought that m-maybe you could h-help me out. I can't live here any longer. You s-see I have a little girl. Her name is Manaki. And we need to get to her father. I r-really don't want her to grow up here in Otogakure. And, well, he lives in Kiri a-a-and the journey isn't particular safe. T-t-that's why I need your help. Please!"

"What are you willing to pay?", he sounded almost bored.

"I-I have some savings," well that was an exaggeration, but she simply d

idn't have the means to save up more than a little bit every month, "and I'm going to sell furniture and things I d-don't need a-anymore," she doubted that she would get much for the run down stuff, but it was worth a try, "and when we arrive in Kiri, her father will compensate you generously. I give you my word." She hoped that she would be able to hold her promise, but she had to convince him.

He looked unimpressed, "That doesn't answer my question. What. Are. You. Willing. To. Pay?"

She had no idea how much she should offer him. Her savings added up to roughly 10.000 ryo. If she sold all the stuff in her apartment, she could probably get another 40.000. And then there were her family's heirlooms… Ayaka never thought of selling them. They were the last things she had left from her parents. The last remnant of her mother.

But what would a few pieces of jewelry do her good if she continued living her pathetic life? When would she ever get the chance to show off the earrings and bracelets she kept hidden away under the floorboards of her apartment? Surely not while being on her knees, cleaning the floors, or rushing through the slums, trying to get to her safe apartment. It was part of the price she had to pay for a better life. Her parents would have understood it if they were still alive. At least she hoped so.

Suddenly she realized that she still owned him an answer. His fingers were tapping on the scratched wood of the table, and she could practically feel the impatience radiating from his body.

"I-I can o-offer-" her stuttering was interrupted by the innkeeper, who placed a cup of sake on the table.

"What can I bring you, girly?" his voice was awfully sweet, and she could feel his eyes wandering over her face and down her body.

"Just a-a water, please." Ayaka avoided eye contact with the foreign male. She didn't want to give him even the slightest impression that she was interested in him.

"Are you sure? I have some drinks that are more suited for such a cute girl."

Before she could decline his offer, her negotiating partner intervened, "Leave."

His tone was dark. Really dark. It radiated authority and promised pain. It made her gulp, and was enough to make the bartender flee behind the counter.

"I want a million ryu."

 _What?_

"And you pay for all travel costs."

She definitely could not afford that. 1.000.000 ryu. That alone was insane. And all the additional money she would have to spend for food, accommodation, and the shipping to Kiri. There was no way she could raise so much money. Maybe he was willing to negotiate.

"That's too much. It's not that long of a way to Kiri," she tried to reason, "I give you 500.000 ryu."

She could feel his piercing eyes on her, but didn't dare to look up into his face. When his hand moved towards her, she jerked back into the wall behind her. Without a comment his long fingers clasped around the cup of sake between them and lifted it up to his mouth. Ayaka was furious with herself. Normally she wasn't frightened that easily. While she wasn't the bravest woman, the last couple of years had toughened her up. Living in a shady neighborhood and dealing with even shadier people every day, taught her to put on a strong façade. Apparently not strong enough to face this man…

 _Klock_.

The noise made her twitch once more. He put down the empty cup on the table, and the scratching of the chair on the floor prompted her to look up. He was ready to leave. Not again!

Before he could step towards the door, she screamed "WAIT!" for a second time this evening. "Let's negotiate. I'm sure we can come to an agreement."

"Then make a better offer!"

Well at least he was ready to listen to her. She forced her brain to roughly estimate how much she could give him the most. 300.000 ryu.

"700.000 ryu. I will give you 300.000 in advance and you will receive 400.000 more when we safely arrive in Kiri." Hopefully Makani's father was a generous man.

"Hn." Was the only answer she got. He still wasn't satisfied?

"And I will pay for any costs on our travel…if we live cheap."

Her heart seemed to pause, as they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. When he finally sat down, she let out a deep sigh. A burden of a thousand kilos seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. She made it. She had found themselves a bodyguard.

"We leave as early as possible and travel at my pace. I don't like to be kept waiting, and I don't wish to lengthen the duration of this journey." He still sounded cold, but not as dangerous as before. More businesslike.

"I will need a week to finish my business here and I'm sure you have to make some preparations yourself. Concerning the pace… I want to get to Kiri as fast as possible, and we will try to keep up with you, but please consider that Makani is only six. We can only go so fast," she explained desperately.

His eyes darkened in annoyance, and she could swear his mouth tightened under his mask, but he refrained from complaining. Thank God.

"We leave next Sunday in the early morning hours. You live in the same building as Hidan?"

"Y-yes. Next door to his apartment."

"I will fetch you at 4 am. Give me the money in cash. No tricks or you will have to face the consequences. And believe me; you don't want to do that."

Ayaka gulped. She didn't doubt his warning at all. His whole demeanor practically screamed ' _don't mess with me',_ and she did not have a death wish. But if she considered this optimistically, he was the perfect guy to protect Makani and her. The dangerous aura surrounding him would already scare most of the thugs off. And if there were some that were either brave or stupid enough to approach him, her gut feeling told her that he knew how to defend himself. He just was not the type to utter empty threats.

"Don't worry. I'm very grateful for your protection. I wouldn't do anything to anger you; I promise."

He didn't lower himself to reply to her words and only continued to observe her with emotionless eyes. She couldn't stand his gaze for long, so she lowered her eyes back to the table, studying the various scratches in the wood. Soon after, he seemed to be bored of just staring at her. The uncomfortable silence was broken by the sound of his cloak rustling, as he got up.

When she looked up, he was already halfway through the room. What did she expect? A goodbye? He didn't really appear to be a man of many words. Still, some final words would have been nice. He couldn't just leave like that, could he? Ayaka felt the strange need to say something, to not let him leave like that.

"WAIT!" that was the third time in less than an hour, "What is your name?"

At least he had the courtesy to turn around and look her in the eyes when he simply answered "Kakuzu," before stepping onto the dark streets.

The whole encounter left her frozen in her seat. Her mind tried to process what just happened. She did it. She found a bodyguard. She would go to Kiri. She made a bargain with the devil.

Only when the innkeeper approached her table, she was pulled from her lockdown and realized that Kakuzu hadn't paid for his sake.

 _Bastard_.


End file.
